Important to read first.

The information contained on this page applies to students on Tier 4/Student visas only. It does not apply to students on other visa types that permit full-time work.

Every Tier 4/Student visa holder studying a full-time programme at the University of Reading should have a right to work while studying, but the working limits depend on the course a student is currently undertaking. Tier 4/Student visa holders studying part-time, Short-term study visa holders and visitors are not permitted to work paid or unpaid. 

Please read the University of Reading’s Institutional Tier 4 Policy

Pre-sessional English students & foundation students

Students on a pre-sessional English or IFP course are permitted to work as follows:

• Part-time of no more than 10 hours per week during term time – see below for the definition of a ‘week’.
  Term dates:
  IFP- email ifp@reading.ac.uk  
  Pre-sessional English (PSE)
• Full-time during vacations, and full-time before the course starts and after you have completed it.

Undergraduate students

Students on a bachelor’s course or undertaking a short-term study abroad degree programme are permitted to work:

• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time – see ‘Definition of a ‘week’ and term time’ below.
• Full-time during vacations, and full-time before the course starts and after you have completed it.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed part of the course and if the work placement is not more than 50% of the course duration. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a Student Union Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment term-time. 

In a Part-Time Officer role for up to 20 hours per week term-time, and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a Part-Time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work. 

 
Postgraduate students

Students on a master’s or PhD course or undertaking a short-term study abroad postgraduate degree programme are permitted to work:

• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time – see ‘Definition of a ‘week’ and term time’ below.
• Full-time during vacations, and full-time before the course starts and after you have completed it.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed part of the course and if the work placement is not more than 50% of the course duration. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a student union sabbatical officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment term-time. 
• In a Part-Time Officer role for up to 20 hours per week term-time, and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a Part-Time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.

 
Definition of a ‘week’ and term time

Week - For the purposes of work, a week is defined as a period of 7 days starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday.

Term time - Term dates depend on the type of programme the student is on - please see the bullet points below. University term dates are published at The Key Dates pages on Essentials. 

• Undergraduates/Postgraduate 9-month master’s programmes: The term dates apply to all undergraduate and 9-month master’s students.
• Postgraduate 12-month master’s programmes: Students on a 12-month master’s programme are required to study for one calendar year and, therefore, do not have a summer vacation. The summer should be treated as term time, with the same restriction of 20 working hours per week. The term is considered to finish on the expected course end date stated on your CAS. Therefore you will be able to work full time from the start of the following week after the expected end date of your course provided that you have completed all aspects of your course and have no further work to submit. If you are unsure of your expected course end date, do not hesitate to email us.
• PhD programmes (full-time): PhD students are required to be in continuous attendance, so term dates do not apply to them. They can be permitted up to 8 weeks' vacation per academic year, including bank holidays and University closure days. Vacations are authorised at the School/Department's discretion, your PhD supervisor must sign off any approved annual leave which then must be recorded by the PGR Administrator. If you wish to work full-time during your annual leave you must obtain evidence from the Doctoral Research Office (DRO) and share this with your employer. PhD students are able to work full-time during their vacation periods, which can be taken at any time within reason. Vacation time is not a given right and its authorisation will depend on the academic progress of the student.

 
Visa conditions and errors

Students must not work more hours than are allowed. Work permission is stated on either an entry clearance vignette or biometric residence permit. Tier 4/Student visa holders will be in breach of their visa conditions if they work more hours than are permitted or they undertake prohibited types of work. For information on the kind of work Tier 4/Students can do, please see UKCISA's "What kind of work can you do" webpage and their useful blog post "A working definition”. 

The Home Office treat work conditions very seriously. A breach of conditions can have serious consequences for both current Tier 4/Student leave and any future immigration applications made.

If students believe they have been given incorrect conditions, they should contract the International Student Advisory Team as soon as possible.
 
Demonstrating right to work

Anyone who wishes to undertake work in the UK is required to show their current visa or BRP card to employers to demonstrate their right to work.

Employers are also required to confirm term time dates in determining whether students can work full-time or part-time. Details of term dates can be found at The Key Dates pages on Essentials.

Need more help?

If clarification is needed on any aspect of the above information, please email the International Student Advisory Team at immigration@reading.ac.uk where we will respond to you as soon as possible, alternatively telephone +44(0)118 378 8038.